Trigger safety device for guns



Feb. 24, 1959 c. M. NIESP 2,874,503

TRIGGER SAFETY DEVICE FOR GUNS Filed April 12, 1957 Fig.1

VIII IIIIIIIIIIIA I INVENTOR CAS/MER M. N/ESP ATTORNEY Unitctl State's Patfi Q l l l l of Figure 1 W i I Figure 4 is an oveall' perspective viewof the locking invention; and

Figure '6 is a side elevational view of a pistol which is.-;;

. 2,874,503 TRIGGER S AFETY DEVICE FOR GUNS Casimir M. Niesp, Bulfalo, N. Y. 7 Application April 1 2, 1957, Serial No. 652,619

5 Claims. 01. 42- 10 The present invention relates to a safety mechanism for a gun, more particularly, to a slidable locking bar which lockingly engages the trigger and is released from ,iocking engagement'by the hand ofthe firer being placed in the firing pos1tion, the locking bar being automatically safety mechanism on the under-side f the gun stock and ad acent the trigger guard, but which is not unlocked merely by the weight of the gun when it is carried in the firers hand.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide a safety locking barwhich engages the trigger to lock the same against'firing and which automatically returns to the locking position after the gun'has been fired. Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparentupon reference to the accompanying description when taken in conjunction with the following drawings wherein Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a portion of a single barrel shot gun which has been equipped with the locking lever of this invention;

Figure '2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of t Figure 1, which corresponds substantially with a vertical longitudinal plane extending through the rifle;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3-3 bar-per se ofthis invention; Figure 5 1s -a sideelevational view of a portion of a single barrel shot gun whichhas a modification of this equipped with the locking'bar of this invention.

Returning now to the drawings and more particularly to Figure 1, wherein like reference numerals represent the same parts throughout the various views, 1 indicates a single barrelshotgun or a similar shoulder weapon having-- tangular in cross section and adjacent the under-side of the stock is located in the rear portion of the trigger guard 15 behind the rear face 6 of the trigger. A locking bar 10 which has a cross section corresponding to that of the opening 9 is slidably mounted within this opening. The locking bar has a forward end 11 which is wedge-shaped, as indicated at 12, so as to fit between the rear face of the trigger and the under-side of the stock, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2. The rear end of the locking bar indicated at 13, has a raised portion 14 which is gripped by the fingers of the firer when the hand is placed in a firing position and facilitates the rearward sliding movement of the locking bar. There is an elongated opening 15 which extends transversely through the locking bar 10'and is in a horizontal plane when the gun is held in a normal firing position. A pin 16 passes through the trigger guard and the elongated opening 15 to limit the sliding movement of the locking bar. A magnet 17 is set into the forward end 11 of the locking bar.

The advantages of this invention will become apparent from a description of the operation of the locking bar or slide which constitutes the safety mechanism. When the gun 1 is carried in one hand, as is commonly done, the gun is generally supported at a point immediately behind the trigger guard, by the firers hand, and rests in the curled fingers thereof. The weight of the gun upon the firers hand when in this position will not move the locking bar since a rearward sliding motion of thebar is necessary in order to unlock the trigger. Consequently this-is a true safety mechanism since it will be released only when a stock 2 a'nda pistol grip 3 only a portion of which is .sho'wni: An action whichmay be conventional is installed :in' the hollowed-out portion of. the stock and has a'trigger '4extending downwardly through the under-side: of the istockB. The trigger. has a front face 5 which is engaged; i by 'theffinger of the firer, in order to actuate the trigger,

and arear-face6. A.trigger.guard 7 encloses the trigger 1in alconventional mannerand is secured to the stockby guard screws 8, only one of which is shown.

The structure as described above may be found in any conventional type shoulder weapon. Next, the inventhe gun is held in firing position. When the gun is raised to the firing position, the firer inserts his finger in the trigger guard forwardly of the trigger, and the remainder ofthe fingers of his hand wrap around the stock behind the trigger guard. In this position the fingers engage the locking bar 10 and the continuedwrapping of the fingers about the stock in order to complete the grip of the firer will result in a rearward movement of the locking bar. The rearward movement of the locking bar is of course limited by the length of the elongated slot 15 which is of the order of /s of an inch long. Thus it can be seen that very. little movement of the slide is necessary in order to release the trigger. V

Thelocking bar will remain in the unlocked position as long as the firer maintains his trigger'hand in the firing position upon the gun as described above. After the trigger has been fired the rear face ofjthe trigger is in engagement with the magnet which is mounted on the forward end of the locking bar. Thus, immediately upon the firer removing his hand from the firing position,

the locking bar will be released and will return with the V triggerunder the action of themagnet to the locking position as illustrated in Figures '1 and 2. The trigger'is again locked againstmovement and will not be unlocked until the gun is again placed in the firing position, as described above.

While use ofa magnet in the forward end ofa looking bar is preferred, since the resulting construction is spring 18 which is shaped to limit the movement of the spring and consequently the. sliding action of the locking bar.

In operation, the modification of Figure 5 functions in the same manner as the modification illustrated in Fig- Patented Feb. 24, 1959 ures 1 and 2. The locking bar is unlocked from the fication, while just as etiective as the use of the magnet [in the lockingbar, involves alteration of the stock in order to insert the leaf spring.

As described above, 'it is apparent that the safety lock for this invention will operate with the magnet atone or with the leafsp'ring alone. In addition a piece of pliable steel set in the stock at an angle of about 80 will return the locking lever, after firing, to lock the trigger.

The invention, as illustrated in" Figures 1 and 2, or themodification as illustrated in Figure 5, may be in stalled on any 'type of weapon which is fired by a trigger.

As an example reference is made to Figure 6 wherein the locking bar of this invention is mounted upon a pistol indicated at 22. The locking bar here also functions in the same manner as described above, namely, positioning of the hand of the firer on the pistol grip will slide the locking bar downwardly sufiiciently to release the same from the trigger. In a like manner the locking bar will return into the locking position, as shown in Figure 6,

when the grip of the firing hand about the pistol grip is relaxed.

Other weapons to which this invention may be applied are rifles, shot guns having one and two barrels, machine guns, automatic rifles, carbines and the like. This list is not exhaustive but is merely illustrative of the many types of weapons fired by triggers which may be readily equipped with this invention.

The locking action of the locking bar is obtained primarily by a 'iwedging action on the torward end of the locking bar between the rear face of the trigger and the underiside of the stock. Since the forward end of the locking bar is snugly wedged between the trigger and the stock, any force exerted upon the trigger when the lock ing bar is in the locked position, will not move the trigger to fire the gun since this force will be translated into components which wedge the forward end of the locking bar against the under-side of the stock. A slidingmovemerit of the locking bar sufficient tolock the locking bar. is possible only by additionally placing the fingers around the, stock in a firing position and drawing the locking bar rearwardly by gripping the raised portion of the locking bar.

Thus it can be seen that the present invention discloses av safety mechanism for guns which is automatically unlocked by placing the hand of the firer in the firing position and is locked when the hand is in this position. Ex-

f cept for the opening in the trigger guard behind the trigger, no modification of a gun is necessary in order to install the locking bar upon a weapon. The locking bar itselfisextremely simple to manufacture and comprises a piece of metal machined to the shape as illustrated in Figure 4 and equipped with aimagnet inset into the forwardend of the locking bar. Furthermore, this safety mechanism does not depend upon any complicated system of levers since the locking bar or slide coacts directly with the trigger to lock the trigger against movement.

It will be understood that this invention is susceptible to modification in order to adapt it to different usages and conditions and, accordingly, it is desired to comprehend such modifications within this invention as may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

w s: V

1. In a safety mechanism for a gun, a gun stock, a metallic trigger, a trigger guard enclosing said trigger, a ocking barslidablyjearried by saidtrigger guard and .engageable. with the rearsurfacefof said trigger to lock the same against movement, the forward end of said trigger and the undienside of the gun stock to lock said locking bar shaped to wedge between the rear of said trigger and the under-side'of the gun stock to lock said trigger against movementfiand a magnet in the forward end of said locking bar and attracted by said trigger when spaced therefrom to return said locking bar to its locked position between the trigger and the underside of the gun stock.

2, In a safety mechanism for a gun, a gun stock, a trigger, a trigger guard enclosing said trigger, a locking 1 bar slidably supported by said trigger guard and engageable with the rear surface of said trigger to lock the same against movement, the forward end of said locking bar shaped to wedge between the rear of said trigger and the 'under-side of the gun stock to lock said trigger against movement and released therefrom by sliding movement away from said trigger, and a leaf spring having one end secured in the gun stock and the other end in said locking bar to return said locking bar to the locked position between the trigger and the underside "of the gun stock.

3. In a' safety mechanism for a gun, a gun stock, 'a metallic trigger, a trigger guard enclosing said trigger, a locking bar slidably carried by said trigger guard and engageable with the rear surface of said trigger to lock the same against movement, the forward e'nd of said locking bar shaped to wedge between the rear of said trigger against movement, and a magnetized elementat the forward end of said locking bar and attracted'by said trigger when spaced therefrom to return said locking bar to its locked position between the trigger and the underside of the gun stock.

4. In a safety mechanism for a gun, a gun stock, a trigger, a trigger guard enclosing said trigger, aioc king bar slidably supported by said trigger guard and engageable with the rear surface of said trigger toloelc the same against movement, the forward end ofsaid locking bar shaped to wedge between the rear of said trigger and the under-side of the gun stock to lock said trigger against movement and released therefrom by sliding movement away from said trigger, and a leaf spring having one end secured in the gun stock and the other end in said locking bar to return said locking bar to the locked position between the trigger and the underside of the gun stock, said gun stock having a portion engageable by said leaf spring to limit the sliding movement of said locking bar. a v 5. In a safety mechanism for a gun, a gun stock, a trigger, a trigger guard enclosing said trigger, a locking bar slidably supported by said trigger guard and engag'eable 1 with the rear surface of said trigger to lock the same against movement, the forward ndof said lockingbar shaped to wedge between the rear of said trigger and the under-side of the gun stock to lock said trigger against movement and released therefrom by sliding movement away from said trigger, the said gun stock having a cavity on the under-side thereof above said locking bar, and a leaf spring having one end secured in said cavity of the gun stock and the other end in said locking bar to. returnrsaid locking bar to the locking position between the trigger and the under-side of the gun stock, a wall of said cavity being'engageable by said leafspring to limit the sliding movement of said locking bar, a

7 References Cited in the tile of this patent Baker et a1. Apr. 21, 1953 

